.38 snub
 

What do you think about 110 gr hp loaded to 1000fps+ for snub nose revolvers.
To my knowledge 125 gr has had it's supporters but most seem to still think 158 gr to be best even if it is slower.
Another question.
Many will say the .38spcl is under powered but there has been millions of small .380s sold in the last few years.
I would think the old .38 in almost any configuration would be preferable to even the new better .380 loads.

I like the little .38sp. Always have. It's a bit anemic but it gets the job done when up close and personal work is needed. My wife carries the little Lady Smith in .38sp and she is danged accurate with that little bugger. 25 feet and in (actual self defense range) there wouldn't be a live attacker with her that much I would bet on.

I worked up a load for her using 5.5gr Unique under a 110gr XTP which chrony's an average of 1005fps. Her little revolver didn't like Power Pistol at all. Your results may vary. I personally think it has more than enough power to take out a bad guy if needed. The right bullet put in the right place will equal a problem solved.

What are you wanting these loads to do for you? Are you thinking the 100-110's at 1,000fps will have an advantage in terminal performance over 125's and 158's? Or, are you simply looking for a lower recoiling load?

If you're looking to reduce recoil, then the lighter pills will work. Be sure you have realistic expectations for performance, and be sure you consider the trade off you're making.

If you're looking for enhanced performance, look heavier. The greater momentum, penetration, and expansion on the bigger pills - even running slower - is impossible to deny.

Don't be too easily dissuaded - good enough is good enough - but don't be too hurried to pick one without considering reality - better is better.

It is a trade of no matter how you slice it I guess. The 110 load is easier to shoot out of an airweight. Velocity offsets weight some I would think.
I bet the answer is in the middle.
About 135 gr at better velocity than the 158.
The 110 do make a nice tighter group and are faster fired.
I have always used heavier.Just wondering.

FOr self-defense, 110 grain bullets are a bad idea.

Go with the FBI load: 158 grain LSWCHP +P. I use this load in my .357 Mag revolver for self-defense.

They aren't a bad idea at all. A 110gr put in the right spot will equal just as dead as a 158gr. It's all about placement. Are the 158gr better? Of course in some applications but when it comes to smaller female shooters they absolutely aren't. Bullet performance also needs to be factored in. As in what type. You have bullets out there nowadays that are built to fragment and cause extreme damage. Lets face a little reality here, humans are not that hard to put down. We are one of the weakest species on the planet when it comes to getting hit by a bullet.

Hi super_hunt54,

I'll have to disagree.

Women, even petite women, can shoot large handguns.

It's all about penetration. This in one of many areas where 110 grain .38 caliber bullets would be a very poor choice.

I'll vehemently disagree about human tenacity. Human beings, absent a CNS hit, can take a whole lot of lead. My friend put 6 rounds from his duty .357 Mag revolver into the X ring of a very bad guy. A single round of 12 gauge 00 buck reduced him to property of the corner as evidence.

BTW, there is no such thing as a man stopper tactical handgun.

When in come to self-defense, bigger & heavier bullets are better.

Best of luck to you.

It's all a trade-off.
I personally don't want to know how good or bad my shot placement would be in a self-defense situation, but I'm not going to bet on the best possible accuracy.
However, I also don't have a large caliber; I shoot a 9mm. But I like two things about it that I think balance out the firepower vs. accuracy imperatives in my case.

1) Higher mag capacity---knowing that if I get in some sort of a shootout situation I won't be so likely to run out is good. If someone is drugged up and doesn't feel impacts, I have more to spare. One thing I don't like about .380s or .45s that only have 6+1 capacity is they don't offer this.
2) Less recoil---I'm pretty thin, and perhaps more importantly, for want of practice not quite experienced with containing recoil from larger cartridges in the sub-compact frame. Being able to get back on target faster at the range than I could with a .40 S&W or larger encourages me to think the same goes for a real-life situation. I won't carry a full-size for concealed carry, so whatever I can shoot in a sub-comp frame without completely losing sight picture is what I'll go with.
Perhaps for some, that means shooting a .38 Special, and a lower-grain bullet at that. More power to them; it's better than nothing.

Like Younggun, I believe in getting back on target as quickly as possible. Now for me, standing 6'5" and weighing in at between 240 and 260 (summer and winter weights) with gorilla hands and arms, shooting and recovering sight picture for me with just about any handgun made is pretty easy. Since I own a couple .500 S&W I can attest to that statement. But with the wife barely breaking 5'3" and MAYBE 130 after x-mas turkey it's a whole other ball game. She can shoot any handgun I own. And deadly accurate with dang near all of them. But target recovery is another story entirely. More rounds ACCURATELY on target at a quicker pace is what she likes and what makes her feel the most comfortable. You put 3 110gr XTP's through the chest of ANY man walking this Earth and he is a dead man. Plain and simple. As I said earlier,, Are the 158's better? Of course. BUT are they better for HER? Absolutely not. Whichever you are the most accurate with is what you shoot. Under a stressed situation, if you don't have confidence in your ability you are thoroughly and completely screwed.

younggun308,

It might be a wise idea to avoid any trade off in gunfighting.

There are but two rules that apply to gunfighting:

1. The only known way of surviving a gunfight is to not get in one

2. If Rule 1 is unavoidable, don't get shot

Only a fool would trade his life for a bad guy's life.

Your accuracy is nowhere as important as a bad guy's accuracy. If you take time to aim at close distance, you body would likely end up as evidence of murder.